Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 211 We Will Not Become Stronger Alone

"Even with a relatively conservative strategy and conserving energy in the middle of the race, Atalanta was unable to execute a sufficient final kick in the final straight line."

Sasakawa came to this conclusion after observing many games since his debut.

on the contrary--

Even at a slightly faster pace, Atalanta never felt exhausted.

“She’s the horse that needs to escape to win the race.”

On this day, Atalanta continued the unconventional uniform speed of blooming from the previous cherry blossom viewing.

Ignoring the two or three opponents who were biting desperately from behind, the familiar force conveyed the signal of "just keep running" to his partner through the reins.

It wasn't until approaching the third turn that there was a commotion in the audience.

"This is not good—"

Leaning against the railing, Kitano clearly witnessed the progress of the game from a bystander's perspective.

Whether opponents are from the inner or outer sects, they are all ready to launch an offensive.

"Disrupt the rhythm of the popular escape horse of the upper position."

As the most popular horse in the Oaks, it is difficult for Atalanta to easily get a comfortable lead like many of her predecessors who have broken the doubts of the upset.

If it is an underdog with low popularity and insufficient strength, there is no need to waste any effort.

however--

Atalanta, who is leading the team at the moment, is actually quite popular before the game.

But soon, the riders in the herd behind were caught in a dilemma again.

If the opponent is running at a normal pace, you can take advantage of the opportunity when the opponent slows down to move forward and suppress him.

But Atalanta's pace was slightly faster, with a subtle emphasis on the field.

For most of the horses running in the Oaks, it is definitely not a wise choice to follow up rashly at such a pace.

"If you think you're strong enough, then go ahead and catch up."

Faced with the challenge from local horse racing, some riders choose to bet their victory on the last long straight line in the palace.

"She's definitely not going to make it."

Many people, including most horse racing fans, think so.

Another group of riders knew that they must not let Atalanta escape easily, but they made a decisive decision to catch up in the middle of the opposite straight.

"Can Atalanta, a coward who longs to get as far away from the horses as possible, maintain her rhythm in the face of an attack of this magnitude?"

Such questions flashed through the minds of many witnesses, including Kitano.

“Oh no—”

Miura, who gradually caught up with the leading group from the middle group, looked as pale as death.

He noticed that Atalanta, whose rhythm should have been unbalanced under the pressure of the advance group, still maintained perfect coordination with the riders.

Many times, a runaway horse stalls early because the rider wants to slow down the pace, but he conflicts with the horse that still wants to keep running fast, resulting in unnecessary consumption.

however--

Perhaps he was moved by the rider's calmness through the bit, or perhaps he had already overcome his inner fear.

On this day, the golden mane, shining in the sunlight of the palace, cut through the gust of wind.

At the front of the herd, a petite chestnut-haired figure was the first to emerge from the cover of the large beech tree.

"She's actually going to escape completely?"

It should not be called timidity, such a premonition is the rider's intuition based on experience.

So, after the advance group began to run out of energy, the middle group and even the horses further back finally began to try to shorten the distance.

Even Bakhta, who fell to the back of the pack due to a mistake in starting, started to catch up under the urging of rider Kawada.

"1,800 meters in 1 minute 48.2 seconds, that's a pretty fast pace!"

The moment the commentary ended, the stands erupted in applause mixed with surprise and joy.

"Has the escape been successful?" The leading group, which had been pressing forward, gradually lost speed, and the herd of horses behind them had not yet caught up. Atalanta seemed to have victory in hand.

Beyond the flying mane, Sasakawa's face was filled with suffocating solemnity.

My heart was beating so hard it hurt.

The sound of hooves approaching from behind pressed against his back like the force of ghosts and gods.

however--

A slightly clumsy yet extremely firm force was clearly transmitted to the rider's palm through the reins.

At this moment, there was nothing else reflected in his eyes except the road stretching ahead.

In other words, there is nothing else to think about except striving forward.

After passing the iconic third turn, the pace that seemed to have slowed down slightly returned to normal in an instant.

"We will never give the guys behind us a chance to catch their breath."

There had been doubts, but when the moment of victory or defeat came, Sasakawa chose to believe in his partner's ability.

When Atalanta stepped onto the home straight, the commotion in the audience instantly turned into deafening screams.

Even though the race was drawing to a close, his leading running posture did not waver in the slightest.

The chestnut-haired horse seemed to be about to run out of strength, but without Sasakawa whipping it, it was able to widen the distance again with its brisk steps that were almost undiminished.

After crossing the last iconic slope in Fuchu, the glorious end point is right in front of you.

At the same time, the sound of hooves behind gradually faded away.

Under the blazing afternoon sun, the shadows of people and horses overlapped perfectly.

The petite figure of Li Mao ran towards the stands with leisurely steps, and the cheers from the audience became louder and louder.

"Mejiro Atalanta! Mejiro Atalanta is still ahead! Mejiro Atalanta is walking alone!"

The uneasiness of bloodline and distance completely lost its controversy at this moment.

"Being strong isn't the only thing you need to be a hero!"

"Incheon, just a neck away, is the springtime for the Queen of Kashiwa to bloom!"

"Following the Meisho Opera in 1999, another local racehorse has won a central Grade 1 race!"

"Mebiro Atalanta, a fair escape and victory!"

The next moment, the 50,000-seat grandstand at the Tokyo Racecourse was flooded with huge cheers.

"Atalanta—"

Among the large number of spectators waiting for the return of Atalanta and Sasakawa, someone was the first to shout out support.

This is a medal of courage dedicated to those who escaped from Fuzhong at 2400 meters.

"Atalanta—"

"Sasakawa——"

The violent cheers of support came one after another as if by agreement. Even some older and more experienced horse racing fans were grumbling, "We should have shouted 'Wing', right?", but they joined in the cheering at the same time.

When Atalanta and Sasakawa finally walked towards the stands, the huge cheers and the enthusiasm of the audience reached its peak.

At this moment, the goggles were no longer on Sasakawa's face, and the rider seemed to be standing stiffly on the horse's back, motionless.

"You're crying, aren't you—"

"I didn't even make a celebratory gesture just now. Opportunities like this don't come easy."

With another loud "Sasagawa" call, the rider seemed to suddenly react and bowed slightly towards the stands.

Then, he stroked the slightly wet chestnut head with his numb palm.

"Thank you for your hard work, Ata-chan, and—"

"Thank you."

　Chapter 2: Late
　　
　
(End of this chapter)